Framer vs Strapi
Framer is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 19.
- Framer Site builder · Closed source · 14 of 28 built in
- Strapi Headless · Open source · 15 of 28 built in
Sources checked: Framer on 29 Sept 2026, Strapi on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.
WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.
Feature comparison
Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
| Platform |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| What it is | Hosted visual site builder with a CMS, hosting and AI agents. Designers build pages on a canvas. Run by Framer. | Open-source Node.js headless CMS with a visual content-type builder, self-hosted or run on Strapi Cloud. Paid plans add governance features. |
| Edition compared The product and release each column describes. | Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated | Strapi 5 CMS, free Community edition with paid Growth and Enterprise plans for self-hosted projects Version 5.55.1, released 24 Sept 2026 |
| Vendor | Framer B.V. framer.com | Strapi strapi.io |
| Licence | Closed source Proprietary | Open source MIT |
| Hosting | No self-hosting Vendor cloud A paid plan is required to connect a custom domain. | Self-hosting Vendor cloud Strapi Cloud removed its free plan in 2026. Hosting starts at the Starter plan. |
| Built with | Hosted SaaS with React code components | TypeScript, Node.js, React |
| Database | Managed by Framer | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | Free to start Free plan. Basic $10, Pro $30 per site per month billed yearly. Extra editors $20 per month. | Free to start Community free. Growth $45 per month with 3 seats, then $15 per seat. Cloud from $35 per project per month. |
| Content modelling | ||
| Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. | Not available You build collections in the editor or sync them through the Plugin and Server APIs. 313 | Built in Content types are schema.json files in the project. 19 |
| Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. | Built in 13 | Built in Content-type Builder works in development mode only. 16 |
| Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. | Built in Components with properties that content editors can change on-page. 14 | Built in Components and dynamic zones. 216 |
| Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. | Plugin or add-on Translation locales add-on, $20 per locale per month. One free locale to try. 117 | Built in |
| Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. | Built in Generates 512 to 4096 px variants served through srcset. 8 | Built in Generates small, medium and large sizes on upload. No crops on request. 15 |
| APIs and delivery | ||
| REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. | Limited Server API in open beta, through the framer-api package over WebSocket. No plain REST. 23 | Built in 2 |
| GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. | Not available | Plugin or add-on Official GraphQL plugin. 14 |
| Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. | Not available Webhooks cover form submissions only. 10 | Built in 218 |
| Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. | Built in | Not available |
| Editorial workflow | ||
| Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. | Built in CMS items can stay in draft. 13 | Built in Draft & Publish. 2 |
| Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. | Not available No native scheduling. Third-party Marketplace plugins add it. 18 | Paid tier Growth plan, by scheduling a Release. 6 |
| Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. | Built in Version history and rollback of published versions. 67 | Paid tier Content History keeps 14 days on Growth, 30 to 90 days on Enterprise. 7 |
| Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. | Built in | Built in Basic preview is free. Side-by-side Live Preview needs Growth. 5 |
| Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. | Built in Canvas editing and on-page editing of the live site. 14 | Paid tier On Growth, editors double-click content in Live Preview to edit it. 5 |
| Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. | Limited Editors review and merge Pro branches. Only Deploy permission publishes. No stages. 45 | Paid tier Review Workflows on Enterprise. 9 |
| Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. | Paid tier Branching on Pro groups changes and ships them in one merge. 15 | Paid tier Releases on Growth and Enterprise. 6 |
| Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. | Built in Free workspaces allow up to three editors. 1 | Not available |
| Access and governance | ||
| Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. | Limited Fixed roles plus Design, Content and Deploy permissions per project. No role builder. 4 | Built in Unlimited admin roles on Community. 28 |
| Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. | Not available | Built in 8 |
| Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. | Paid tier Enterprise. 116 | Paid tier Enterprise, or a $150 per month add-on on Growth. 211 |
| Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. | Not available Not documented publicly. | Paid tier Enterprise plan. 10 |
| Platform and extensibility | ||
| Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. | Built in A workspace holds many site projects, each on its own plan. 4 | Not available |
| Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. | Built in Plugins add custom panels and tools to the editor. 11 | Built in 20 |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Built in Framer Marketplace. 12 | Built in Strapi Marketplace. 2 |
| Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. | Built in Native forms. Submissions can also go to a webhook. 10 | Not available |
| Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. | Not available | Built in Users & Permissions feature for end users. 17 |
| AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. | Built in Agents write, rewrite and translate content. AI credits meter usage. 115 | Paid tier AI translation and image alt text on Growth. Not yet available on Enterprise. 212 |
| Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. | Not available No MCP server. External Agents, in preview, link AI tools through a CLI and skills. 9 | Built in Built in. Developers switch it on in the server config. 13 |
Framer sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise.
- Framer pricing
- Framer update: Server API (February 2026)
- Framer Developers: Server API introduction
- Framer Help: members, roles and permissions
- Framer: collaboration with branches, reviews and staging
- Framer: publish with staging, hosting and rollback
- Framer Help: staging and versions
- Framer Help: how Framer optimizes images
- Framer External Agents
- Framer Help: connect Framer forms to a webhook
- Framer Developers: plugins introduction
- Framer Marketplace plugins
- Framer CMS
- Framer Help: on-page editing
- Framer blog: Framer 3.0 with Agents and Branching
- Framer Enterprise
- Framer Help: localization
- Framer CMS Scheduler plugin (third party)
Strapi sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Strapi 5 CMS, free Community edition with paid Growth and Enterprise plans for self-hosted projects.
- @strapi/strapi on the npm registry
- Strapi CMS pricing
- Strapi Cloud pricing
- We're removing the Free plan from Strapi Cloud
- Strapi docs: Preview
- Strapi docs: Releases
- Strapi docs: Content History
- Strapi docs: Role-Based Access Control
- Strapi docs: Review Workflows
- Strapi docs: Audit Logs
- Strapi docs: Single Sign-On
- Strapi docs: AI for content managers
- Strapi docs: MCP server
- Strapi docs: GraphQL plugin
- Strapi docs: Media Library
- Strapi docs: Content-type Builder
- Strapi docs: Users & Permissions
- Strapi docs: Webhooks
- Strapi docs: Models
- Strapi docs: Admin panel customization
Considering more platforms? Compare Framer and Strapi with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
Framer and Strapi get a different status on 19 of the 28 features and the same status on 9. Framer has 14 built in on its baseline edition, Strapi has 15. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.
- Licence
- Framer is closed source (Proprietary). Strapi is open source (MIT).
- Self-hosting
- Framer cannot be self-hosted. Strapi can be self-hosted.
Built in on Framer, a different answer on Strapi 7
- Renders the website Framer: Built in. Strapi: Not available.
- Version history Framer: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.
- Visual editing Framer: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.
- Real-time co-editing Framer: Built in. Strapi: Not available.
- Multiple sites Framer: Built in. Strapi: Not available.
- Form builder Framer: Built in. Strapi: Not available.
- AI writing assistant Framer: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.
Built in on Strapi, a different answer on Framer 8
- Content model in code Framer: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
- Localization Framer: Plugin or add-on. Strapi: Built in.
- REST API Framer: Limited. Strapi: Built in.
- Webhooks Framer: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
- Custom roles Framer: Limited. Strapi: Built in.
- Field-level permissions Framer: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
- Site member accounts Framer: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
- Official MCP server Framer: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 4
- GraphQL API Framer: Not available. Strapi: Plugin or add-on.
- Scheduled publishing Framer: Not available. Strapi: Paid tier.
- Approval workflows Framer: Limited. Strapi: Paid tier.
- Audit log Framer: Not available. Strapi: Paid tier.
More comparisons
Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Strapi vs Payload.
Framer against other platforms
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- Framer vs WordPress
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Strapi against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs Strapi
- Contentful vs Strapi
- Contentstack vs Strapi
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs Strapi
- Craft CMS vs Strapi
- DatoCMS vs Strapi
- Decap CMS vs Strapi
- Directus vs Strapi
- Drupal vs Strapi
- EmDash vs Strapi
- FirstSpirit vs Strapi
- Ghost vs Strapi
- HubSpot CMS vs Strapi
- Hygraph vs Strapi
- Instatic vs Strapi
- Joomla vs Strapi
- Keystone vs Strapi
- Kirby vs Strapi
- Liferay DXP vs Strapi
- Optimizely CMS vs Strapi
- Strapi vs Payload
- Prismic vs Strapi
- Progress Sitefinity vs Strapi
- Sanity vs Strapi
- Sitecore vs Strapi
- Squarespace vs Strapi
- Statamic vs Strapi
- Storyblok vs Strapi
- Strapi vs TYPO3
- Strapi vs Umbraco
- Strapi vs Wagtail
- Strapi vs Webflow
- Strapi vs Wix
- Strapi vs WordPress
- Xperience by Kentico vs Strapi
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